Deflector device



July 13, 1965 F. w. FLOOD DEFLEGTOR DEVICE Filed Aug. '7, 1964 M N/lul United States Patent 3,194,182 DEFLECTGR DEVICE Francis W. Flood, 931 Lindale Ave, Drexel Hill, Pa. Filed Aug. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 338,134 2 (Ilaims. (er. 105--35S) This invention relates to a deflector device and plate for use with railroad tank cars and the like having an opening in a dome thereon for the filling and emptying of the tank.

In filling such cars with corrosive chemicals such as acids, a spray or mist arises from said opening which is highly dangerous and obnoxious to the men working in the vicinity.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means of deflecting the obnoxious vapors.

It is another object to provide a deflector plate secured at a suitable angle to the opening so that the obnoxious vapors are given a positive path or direction as they emerge from the tank.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following descriptive disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing of an illustrative embodiment and in which:

FIG. 1 is a section view through a tank car dome showing the deflector plate in the dome opening,

FIG. 2 is a section view of the deflector plate secured to a pair of rings used at the opening of the dome and taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the deflector plate, and

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the deflector plate secured to the rings at the opening.

Turning to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 2, the overall device consists of a top ring and a like diameter coacting bottom ring 11. Preferably the bottom ring 11 is provided with a set-back ledge 12 so that it may be inserted into the opening of the dome 13 of a tank car.

The front semi-circular lip 14 of ring 11 preferably is less thick than the rear semi-circular lip 15 so that a half disc 16 of transparent plastic or glass may be seated therein.

The top ring 10 (FIG. 3) is provided with a diametrically disposed bridge portion 17 in which are disposed integrally a pair of apertured handles 18 for effecting a lifting engagement thereto.

The bottom ring 11 is also provided with a diametrically disposed bridge portion 20 disposed beneath the top ring bridge portion 17. Preferably the bottom bridge 26 is provided with a sloped wall 21, sloped at an angle of 45 degrees or more away from the visual glass semi-disc 16.

A deflector plate 22 having a slight taper so that its top edge 23 is longer than its bottom edge 24 is provided with a pair of suitable counter-bored apertures 25' disposed at a predetermined distance away from the bottom edge 24.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the bottom bridge 20 is provided with a pair of spaced-apart boreholes adapted to receive a bolt and nut assembly 26.

The bolt and nuts 26 are disposed in the apertures of the bridge portion 20 and through the corresponding counter-bored apertures 25 of the deflector plate 22 so that the plate 22 is seated firmly against the sloped wall 21 of bridge 20.

The rings 19 and 11 may be made of brass or other metal or even of plastic. Preferably the semi-disc 16 and the deflector plate 22 is made of clear transparent plastic such as Plexiglas (amethacrylate).

The entire device of rings and plastic may be handled as a unit and thus lowered onto an opening of a tank car.

As shown by arrows in FIG. 1, the obnoxious fumes, for example, crude oil containing butane, issuing from a dome of a tank on a ship or barge are deflected away from the workman who views the interior of the tank being filled through the visual element 16. Thus the eyes and lungs of the workman are not harmed. Clearly, the deflector of this invention is a safety device to reduce hazards to health.

The top ring 10 is preferably bolted to the bottom ring by means of a plurality of bolts 29. Preferably about four bolts are passed through corresponding apertures provided in the semi-disc 16.

Other ways of securing the plate 22 to the bolted together rings are possible but all these obvious ways are deemed to be embraced within the ambit of the claims herein.

I claim:

1. A deflector device for deflecting fumes from a tank opening comprising set-back bottom ring adapted to seat in said tank opening and having a diametrical bridge portion; a top ring of like diameter as said bottom ring and having a diametrical bridge portion adapted to be positioned over the bottom bridge portion; a suitably apertured transparent semi-disc disposed between said top and bottom rings on one side of said bridge portions; a flat transparent deflector plate disposed adjacent to and on the other side of bridge portions and means for securing said deflector plate to said bridge portions.

2. The device of claim 1 comprising a bottom bridge portion having a suitably sloped bottom wall of at least 45 degrees with said bridge portion having a pair of spaced-apart apertures therein, said deflector plate being provided with a pair of suitably spaced-apart counterbored apertures, said means for securing said bridge to said deflector plate being a pair of bolt and nut units disposed through said bridge apertures and through said counterbored apertures of said deflector plate.

No references cited.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEFLECTOR DEVICE FOR DEFLECTING FUMES FROM A TANK OPENING COMPRISING SET-BACK BOTTOM RING ADAPTED TO SEAT IN SAID TANK OPENING AND HAVING A DIAMETRICAL BRIDGE PORTION; A TOP RING OF LIKE DIAMETER AS SAID BOTTOM RING AND HAVING A DIAMETRICAL BRIDGE PORTION ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED OVER THE BOTTOM BRIDGE PORTION; A SUITABLY APERTURED TRANSPARENT SEMI-DISC DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM RINGS ON ONE SIDE OF SAID BRIDGE PORTIONS; A FLAT TRANSPARENT DEFLECTOR PLATE DISPOSED ADJACENT TO AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF BRIDGE PORTIONS AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID DEFLECTOR PLATE TO SAID BRIDGE PORTIONS. 